Ford extends production halt at German plant
Ford Motor will extend a production stoppage at its factory in Cologne, Germany, until the end of October because of the global shortage of microchips.
The company will not be able to resume production of the Fiesta small hatchback at the plant as planned, a Ford spokesperson said. The plant will remain idle until Oct. 31, the spokesman continued. "Due to the still tense situation on the global semiconductor market, supply bottlenecks continue to occur," said the spokesman. Fiesta production in Cologne has largely been at a standstill since July.
Ford said it was not yet clear whether production could resume in November. The availability of semiconductors on the world market will remain "very volatile" for the foreseeable future, the spokesman said. Ford therefore assumes "that there may always be production stoppages in the foreseeable future." The Fiesta is the only model built in Cologne. European sales of the hatchback fell 25 percent to 72,276 through August, according to JATO Dynamics market researchers. The Fiesta is Ford's second-bestseller in Europe after the Puma small crossover built in Romania. Puma sales rose 75 percent to 106,360 in the first eight months.
Ford has said it will sell only full-electric passenger cars in Europe by 2030. The automaker is investing $1 billion in the Cologne plant to build electric cars based on Volkswagen Group's MEB platform starting in 2023. Ford's move to extend the production stoppage follows Opel's decision to close its plant in Eisenach, Germany, where the company builds the Grandland X compact SUV, until the end of the year because of the semiconductor shortage.
Source - Autonews
WEATHER AS OF 12 PM EDT, THURSDAY 30TH SEPTEMBER 2021.
VICTOR FORECAST TO STRENGTHEN OVER THE EASTERN TROPICAL
ATLANTIC...
AT 11 AM EDT, THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM VICTOR WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 9.5° NORTH AND LONGITUDE 28.9° WESTOR ABOUT 555 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE CABO VERDE ISLANDS.
VICTOR IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 14 MPH. A WEST-NORTHWEST TO NORTHWEST MOTION OVER THE EASTERN TROPICAL ATLANTIC IS EXPECTED THROUGH THE WEEKEND.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS REMAIN NEAR 45 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. GRADUAL STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST, AND VICTOR COULD BE NEAR HURRICANE STRENGTH ON FRIDAY. A WEAKENING TREND IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN OVER THE WEEKEND.
Post-Cabinet Statement: 64% OF RECENT POSITIVE CASES ARE RESIDENTS
The most recent TCI Post-Cabinet Statement has revealed that of all the recent COVID cases up to 15 September, 64% of these were residents. According to analysis, the country saw 93 cases of infection between 1 to 15 September, meaning that for this period, the first half of September, 60 of the 93 cases would have been residents, with the remaining 33 cases being visitors.
While we all want to see the end of the COVID pandemic, when compared to the rest of the region where cases are surging significantly, these numbers show that the TCI is managing the pandemic pretty well. If the trend holds, the TCI will end the month of September with just under 200 new infections for the month.
The latest dashboard figures for Wednesday 29 September show 8 new infections and one recovery. The total number of active cases stands at 53, with 48 cases on Providenciales and 5 on Grand Turk.
The Ministry of Health has surely taken its share of criticism over the pandemic but with more than 72% of residents inoculated against the virus, the 5th batch of vaccines now in country, a recovery rate of roughly 97%, and the TCI seeing record breaking tourism numbers this summer, ministry officials must be relieved and surely smiling.
The Honorable Premier Michael Missick, in his national address last Thursday, noted that his administration was committed to creating a much-improved healthcare system during their term. The pandemic will continue to test their ability to do just that.
Cabinet Update
During that same Cabinet meeting on 15 September, a number of approvals were given and other matters discussed.
These include:
The approval of amendments to the COVID-19 Arriving Passengers Health Clearance Regulations to include persons arriving in TCI aboard naval and coast guard vessels.
The approval of a Cemetery Policy to support the drafting of new Cemetery Legislation.
The approval of the establishment of a force to assist with the management of the CDB Consultancy for the Integrated Solid Waste Management.
Cabinet also approved the commencement of negotiations for a development agreement between Beach Enclave Stargazer Ltd. And TCIG.
The approval was given for the purchase of the land and buildings for the Headquarters of the TCI Regiment and a joint Law Enforcement Training Academy.
Cabinet approved the implementation of the National Teaching Standards Framework.
HE the Deputy Governor, Anya Williams, has been appointed as co-chair of the Information Technology Steering Committee.
And at the meeting the Cabinet discussed the country’s financial performance for the first quarter of the fiscal year and approved publication of the first quarter financial report. The first quarter financial report for statutory bodies was also discussed and approved for publication.
Beijing 2022 Olympics, Non-vaccinated athletes must serve 21-day quarantine
Athletes at the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics who are not fully vaccinated against coronavirus will have to serve a 21-day quarantine upon arrival in Beijing.
Participants at the Games who are fully vaccinated will enter a "closed-loop management system" when they arrive.
Athletes who have a justified medical exemption for the vaccine will have their cases considered.
The Winter Olympics run next February, the Paralympics in March.
Games organisers said that tickets will be sold "exclusively to spectators residing in China's mainland" who meet the coronavirus countermeasures.
Vaccinated athletes will be allowed to move only between Games-related venues for training, competitions and work.
All those involved in the Games within the closed-loop system will be tested daily.
Competitors at the summer Games in Tokyo this year were given daily tests and served a three-day quarantine on their arrival.
Those Games were largely held behind closed doors, with up to 10,000 Japanese fans permitted at venues.
The International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee said it welcomed the decision to sell tickets to those in China's mainland.
"It will facilitate the growth of winter sports in China by giving those spectators a first-hand Olympic and Paralympic experience of elite winter sports," a statement read.
"However, all parties feel for the athletes and the spectators from around the world, knowing that the restriction on spectators had to be put in place to ensure the safe holding of the Games this winter."
Source - BBC
Ecuador riot: Police storm jail where 116 died in gang war
Four hundred police officers have entered a prison in the Ecuadorean port city of Guayaquil where at least 116 inmates have been killed in a gang war. The brutal prison fight first broke out on Tuesday and officials had said on Wednesday that the jail was back under their control. But early on Thursday, neighbours said they had heard explosions and gunshots. Shortly afterwards, police said it was sending 400 officers back in to "maintain order".
Ecuador's police force posted video on its Twitter account of officers moving back into the Guayas prison complex, also known as the Litoral Penitentiary.
How did the deadly fight unfold?
The fight first broke out on Tuesday when inmates from one wing of the prison crawled through a hole to gain access to a different wing, where they attacked rival gang members.
At least six prisoners were decapitated, others were shot and some were killed by grenades.
Police managed to get six cooks, who were trapped in the wing where the fight happened, to safety and only two police officers were injured.
Ecuador's prison director, Bolívar Garzón, said that police had entered the prison at 14:00 local time (19:00GMT) on Tuesday and found 24 bodies. According to Mr Garzón, there was renewed shooting inside the prison overnight Tuesday into Wednesday and as police went through the prison wings one by one, they found scores more bodies, bringing the death toll to 116. Four hundred officers were again sent into Litoral Penitentiary on Thursday morning amid reports of renewed gunfire and explosions.
Who's fighting whom?
The fact that only two police officers have been injured but more than 100 inmates killed strongly suggests this is a war among inmates rather than an attempt at a prison uprising.
Local media are reporting that the brutal killings could have been ordered from outside the prison mirroring a power struggle between Mexican cartels currently under way in Ecuador.
The Litoral Penitentiary holds inmates from Los Choneros, an Ecuadorean gang which is thought to have links with Mexico's powerful Sinaloa drugs cartel.
But another Mexican criminal group, the Jalisco New Generation cartel (CJNG), is also trying to forge alliances with Ecuadorean gangs to seize control of drug smuggling routes leading from Ecuador to Central America from its Sinaloa rivals.
The decapitations and the brutal nature of the violence seen inside the Litoral prison are hallmarks of the Mexican cartels, which often kill their rivals in the most gruesome ways to spread further terror.
Source - BBC
UN chief to open UNCTAD 15th Session in Barbados
The Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator of Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean said on Wednesday that United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres will open the 15th Session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD15) in Bridgetown, Barbados on October 4.
The Office said the conference, hosted by the Government of Barbados, will be held in a hybrid format with events in Barbados, Geneva and across the world until October 7 under the theme “From inequality and vulnerability to prosperity for all”.
“The UN Secretary-General’s opening of UNCTAD’s 15th quadrennial session signals the great importance that the United Nations places on addressing the urgent trade and development needs of developing countries as they work to recover from the COVID-19 crisis,” said UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan.
She said UNCTAD15’s opening ceremony will feature welcome addresses by her, President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, and Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley of Barbados, among others.
The Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator said Guterres will deliver a keynote address on the urgent work required to accelerate global economic recovery and help all countries – especially developing countries – make progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.
Heads of state and government, senior UN officials, leaders of intergovernmental organizations, top trade experts, prominent development principals and thinkers from around the world will share their vision of the solutions required, including the role of trade, in forging a more inclusive and sustainable way forward, the Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator.
In UNCTAD15’s high-level segment, it said world leaders will analyze global vulnerabilities and inequalities and how to build a more prosperous trade and development path.
It will also comprise ministerial round-table discussions on scaling up financing for development, reshaping global and regional value chains, harnessing frontier technologies for shared prosperity and supporting productive transformation for greater resilience in a post-pandemic world.
“With economies all over the world ravaged by COVID-19, the landmark event will offer UNCTAD’s 195 member States an opportunity to devise new ways to ensure trade delivers for all and can address the massive unmet trade, finance, investment and technology needs of developing countries,” the Office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator said.
It said the quadrennial UN event is the highest decision-making body of UNCTAD.
“It sets priorities for the next four years and formulates global policy recommendations on trade and development,” the Office said.
Source - CMC
Jay-Z fighting to release man from 20-year jail sentence over weed
According to legal documents obtained by The New York Post, the rapper's legal team has attempted not once, but twice, to get Valon Vailes released from prison. Vailes, 55, is currently serving a 20-year sentence in North Carolina with an additional 10-year supervised release for marijuana-related charges.
The newspaper reports that attorney Alex Spiro filed a motion on Wednesday asking a North Carolina judge for the "compassionate release" of Vailes after the first request was denied due to his COVID-19 vaccination status.
Spiro argued, "Mr. Vailes’ motion for compassionate release does not mention COVID-19 and does not rely on any COVID-19-related argument as a basis for arguing in favor of a reduced sentence."
Vailes was found guilt by a jury in December 2007 for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute more than a one ton of marijuana from 2003 to 2007. He first gained the attention of Jay-Z's legal team after penning a letter to the rapper, who owns the cannibis company Monogram.
In the letter, a copy of which the New York Post obtained, Vailes wrote, "This correspondence is a plea to ask for your help with the intent to campaign for my clemency...My family needs me home."
Vailes also mentions that he has followed the "Empire State of Mind" rapper's career and admires his advocacy for the "underprivileged and voiceless."
Spiro is asking that the judge release Vailes on a sentence of time served.
“It is unjust to allow Mr. Vailes to remain in prison when, if sentenced under the current law, and with his good behavior credits, he would have already been released," Spiro concluded.
Source - ABC
Amazon's algorithms taken to task in landmark bill
The methods Amazon and other employers use to monitor, reward and discipline warehouse workers are being shaken up in California.
State governor Gavin Newsom has signed a bill prohibiting the workers from being fired for failing to meet a quota that does not allow for rest breaks.
Amazon workers have complained of having to work gruelling hours, with harsh penalties for being "off task".
The online retailer has not commented on the new law.
Bathroom facilities
The bill, the first of its kind, comes into force in January 2022.
Companies will have to detail the number of tasks they expect warehouse workers to complete within a certain timeframe and any penalties for failing to do so."An employee shall not be required to meet a quota that prevents compliance with meal or rest periods, use of bathroom facilities, or occupational health and safety laws," the bill says.
Its pay and benefits are considered generous for the industry.
Amazon has about 150,000 employees in California.
'Arduous workloads'
But some complain conditions are not and arduous workloads create mental and physical problems.
One of its most controversial policies is time off task (TOT).
Amazon's algorithms calculate which hours of a shift are off task, based on the number of items scanned, with penalties for those who underperform. Previously, the system had sent an alert if workers were off task for half an hour.
But in June, Amazon tweaked its policy to average scanned items over a longer period.
At the time of the change, worldwide operations vice-president Dave Clark blogged the tool "could be easily misunderstood" but was primarily to "understand whether there are issues with the tools that people use to be productive" and only secondarily to identify underperforming employees.
One of the biggest criticisms of Amazon is its use of technology, including a large number of robots, dehumanises workers.
It uses an array of technology to keep an eye on workers, including cameras in delivery vans and an app that monitors driving.
'Union-busting tactics'
In April, workers in Bessemer, Alabama, voted for the first time on whether they wanted to be represented by the National Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU).
The vote went against the union but amid allegations Amazon had used union-busting tactics, including:
altering a traffic-light system outside the warehouse to give union officials less time to leaflet workers
bombarding workers with texts, posters and signs encouraging them to vote no
The National Labour Relations Board found enough evidence Amazon had interfered with the process to warrant a second vote, yet to be held.
RWDSU president Stuart Applebaum welcomed the new California legislation but said a union contract "is better".
Transparency about what warehouses required of its workers was needed, he said, but "many other issues" had to be addressed.
In June, the US Teamsters Union announced it was also aiming to recruit Amazon workers.
Source - BBC
YouTube to remove all anti-vaccine misinformation
YouTube has said it will remove content that spreads misinformation about all approved vaccines, expanding a ban on false claims about Covid-19 jabs.
Videos that say approved vaccines are dangerous and cause autism, cancer or infertility are among those that will be taken down, the company said.
The policy includes the termination of accounts of anti-vaccine influencers.
Tech giants have been criticised for not doing more to counter false health information on their sites.
In July, US President Joe Biden said social media platforms were largely responsible for people's scepticism in getting vaccinated by spreading misinformation, and appealed for them to address the issue.
YouTube, which is owned by Google, said 130,000 videos were removed from its platform since last year, when it implemented a ban on content spreading misinformation about Covid vaccines.
In a blog post, the company said it had seen false claims about Covid jabs "spill over into misinformation about vaccines in general". The new policy covers long-approved vaccines, such as those against measles or hepatitis B.
"We're expanding our medical misinformation policies on YouTube with new guidelines on currently administered vaccines that are approved and confirmed to be safe and effective by local health authorities and the WHO," the post said, referring to the World Health Organization.
Personal testimonies relating to vaccines, content about vaccine policies, new vaccine trials, and historical videos about vaccine successes or failures will be allowed to remain on the site, the company said.
The move follows a similar ban introduced by Facebook in February, targeting false claims that vaccines are not effective or cause autism, among others. But since then the company has faced challenges in enforcing it.
In March, Twitter announced that users who repeatedly shared misinformation about vaccines would be banned from the platform.
Source - BBC
House of Assembly
Reminder the House of Assembly will meet at 10am on the 30/09/2021. Coverage of that meeting can be heard right here on Radio Turks & Caicos.
The Turks & Caicos Islands Limitation of Actions Bill 2021 is up for its second and third reading. A number of amendments have been made to several pieces of legislation, including the National Insurance regulations, Public and Environmental Health COVID-19 regulations, Customs legislation, and legislation governing the Ports Authority and Airports Authority.